Thank you for joining us on the Virtual Book Tour for First Love, a Romantic Fantasy Anthology by A.M. Cummins and others (18 February 2019, Dragon Soul Press, 336 pages). PREVIEW: Check out the book's synopsis, full list of stories, excerpt and Kindle Cloud Reader Preview below. Also check out all of the info about each story, synopsis and introductions by the authors themselves.
First Love is FREE on Kindle Unlimited and Kindle Owner's Lending Library.
Author A.M. Cummins will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour. Please do take part: comment on our post and follow the tour where you will be able to read other excerpts (☀).
|| Synopsis || About the Authors || Giveaway & Tour Stops ||
Synopsis
Everyone has had a first love. The one they had new experiences with and the one they can’t forget. Whether it be the boy next door, a loyal princess, or a supernatural being, all of these stories have two things in common: love at first sight and elements of fantasy.Featuring stories by Meg Boepple, Sofi Laporte, Kathryn St. John, Zoey Xolton, Melinda Kucsera, A.R. Johnston, Simon Dillon, A.M. Cummins, Edeline Wrigh, D.S. Durden, A.D. Carter, and Galina Trefil.
The Stories
|| Message in a Bottle || Chestnut Woman || A Season's Time || Once in a Blue Moon || Caught in a Glance || Twin Flames || Papercut || Savage || Of Seals and Storms || Lonely Oni || A Forbidden Union ||Message in a Bottle by Meg Boepple
"Message in a Bottle takes place near the sea turtle nesting areas at Padre National Park, one of the places on my bucket list that I’d love to visit some day.
It’s your basic romance, really...a young man and young woman meet on a romantic beach. Love and magic are in the air… but Moira is sure she’s not nearly good enough to attract this seemingly perfect guy … and Sean has a royal destiny that has been foreordained by none other than the powerful god of the sea himself.
And neither one is who/what they seem to be… anything can happen when secrets start to come out.
Will love triumph, or will fate keep them apart forever?" - Meg Boepple
Chestnut Woman by Sofi Laporte
A story about first love with a whiff of magic.
Pamela leads a lusterless life until her aggravating neighbor, who is not what she seems, offers her three chestnuts that will change her life forever. - Genre: chick lit & fantasy, "Bridget Jones meets Morgana Le Fay"
A Season's Time by Kathryn St. John
Whilst on a summer visit with his grandparents, a young man meets a strange young woman in a nearby forest.
Over the course of the season, their feelings blossom into love, but there's an obstacle looming in the distance that threatens to separate them.
Is their love doomed from the start, or will they manage to find a way around their difficulties and remain together?
Once in a Blue Moon by Zoey Xolton
Faith is an orphan on the cusp of womanhood who comes face to face with her death, and salvation in the space of a single night, when she discovers vampyres not only exist, but rule over their small, Victorian harbour town.
Caught in a Glance by Melinda Kucsera
Theirs was a friendship for the ages–an abused mage just trying to raise his younger brother and a gray-clad enigma who hides beneath a cloak and veil.
They didn’t know it but the day Sarn and Shade met, they took the first step toward a perilous friendship that would end in the deaths of many, unleash a demon, and earn the ire of an angel.
Find out what happens in Caught in a Glance, part 1 of Curse Breaker's Shadow – a new breakout series.
Twin Flames by A.R. Johnston
Dragons, young love and a curse that needs to be broken.
Can this new love overcome what fate has thrown at them?
Or will it tear them apart?
Papercut by Simon Dillon
"Papercut concerns a lonely teenage boy living with his overbearing Jehovah’s Witness mother, who has his world turned upside down when a mysterious girl made entirely of paper keeps appearing in his dreams." - Simon Dillon
Savage by A.M. Cummins
"Savage is based on a true family story and the prejudice my great-great-great-great-great grandmother faced to be with the man that she loved." - A.M. Cummins
Excerpt
Drew fixed his eyes on the dead man’s face. The eyes stared back unseeing and empty. An uncomfortable tingle ran down his spine. The Indian woman rose from her knees and walked away from them. But he had a hard time taking his eyes away from the haunting look permanently etched on that cold, dark face.
Of Seals and Storms by Edeline Wrigh
When a storm threatens the lives of several local fishermen, Elizabeth's best friend - a selkie and the girl she's in love with - comes up with a plan to save them.
But there's one little caveat: she has to return to the ocean for the rest of eternity. Assuming they can find the skin her father hid from her before he drowns, of course.
Of Seals and Storms is a love story about hard decisions, sacrifices, and trusting fate.
Lonely Oni by D.S. Durden
In the futuristic city of Vekshur, Karlyle Laveign is struggling to find a place to call home.
After a tussle with the Vekshur Guard that leaves her running for her life, she finds herself falling into a new one—quite literally. She meets the mysterious Daskalli who shows her that not everything she was told had been true.
A Forbidden Union by A.D. Carter
"My tale “A Forbidden Union,” tells the story of a young prince falling in love with a woman at first sight. But he learns she’s about to be executed for a crime that he does not know but is determined to find out.
Now, this prince is on a diplomatic mission with a vicious and notorious empire to secure some trade routes. But the prince himself feels that her life is more important. Now the question is, what will he do next?
Will he continue his mission?
Or save a woman he barely knows?" - Andre Carter
The Rusalka of The Murashka by Galina Trefil
"My tale in “First Love,” explores the transformation of a young Ukrainian village girl from a naïve romantic to a supernatural being Hell-bent on revenge against the man who wronged her.
The creature which she becomes, a rusalka, is often misrepresented in Western Society as “the Slavic mermaid.”
In truth, the psychology behind rusalki is much more complex. A figure of indigenous, pre-Christian European mythology, she is neither entirely evil, nor entirely good. As reliable as nature, she brings forth bountiful harvests as easily as she lures her victims to their deaths.
All Slavic cultures have their own personal interpretations of the rusalka. This story, set in an authentic ancient, aims to get as close to the local version as possible. I particularly emphasize the traditional lore of rusalki which showcases them as the ghosts of female murder victims. True enough, they are waterbound, but this should not by any means confuse them with the fish-tailed creatures they are mistaken as." - Galina Trefil
About the Authors
|| Meg Boepple || A.D. Carter || A.M. Cummins || Simon Dillon || D.S. Durden || A.R. Johnston || Melinda Kucsera || Sofi Laporte || Kathryn St. John || Galina Trefil || Edeline Wrigh || Zoey Xolton ||
Meg Boepple is the pen name of an author who writes fantasy, romance, and inspirational women's fiction. she wrote her college honors thesis on the works of JRR Tolkien and has been looking for evangelism and eucatastrophe in stories ever since.
She lives in Forth Worth with three feline companions/editorial assistants: Her Majesty Sparkles the First, Ambassador-Plenipotentiary Peanut the Cowardly Lion-Hearted, and Lady Pistachio "KitKit" Sharpclaw, aka She Who Kneads Boobs At Midnight
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Andre is a storyteller, daydreamer, and a thinker. He is also a person who never had a voice growing up. So, he took to writing until he found that voice. Now he spends his time coming up with ideas and writing them on paper and turning them into complex stories. Whether it's a novel, short story, or screenplay. If it's worth telling, it's going on paper.
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A.M. Cummins is a fantasy author, graphic designer, and a self-proclaimed organizational freak living in Toledo, Ohio with her husband, son, and two spoiled cats named Indiana Jones and Dollface. When not working her day job, she enjoys making characters come to life in her yoga paints and messy bun while munching on an egg roll and sipping bubble lemonade.
She adores hearing from her fans!
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I was born the year Steven Spielberg made moviegoers everywhere terrified of sharks, namely 1975. I lived the first twenty or so years of my life in Oxford, and am pleased to have spent so much time in the place where some of my favourite writers wrote their greatest works (including JRR Tolkien, CS Lewis and Philip Pullman). Things went gradually downhill from there as I attended University in Southampton and afterwards managed to muddle my way into television where I have worked ever since.
I like to think I can write a diverting story, and as a result I have penned a few novels. I might be sadly deluded, but that’s for readers to decide.
I currently live in Plymouth in the UK, and am married with two children. I am presently brainwashing them with the same books that I loved growing up.
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D.S. Durden is an android residing primarily in the swamps of Floridaland. D.S. Durden shares a home with a menagerie of quadruped creatures, many of which trace their origins back to Earth.
He enjoys writing semi-biographical sci-fi and fantasy stories when not busy with resolving tech issues faced by the humans which he begrudgingly shares the planet with, painting, baking banana bread and cheesecakes, and deciphering the mysteries of the void itself.
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AR Johnston is a small town girl from Nova Scotia, Canada. Her style of writing is considered Urban Fantasy.She participates in NaNoWriMo, won a Live Write and a contest for a "kiss scene" included in a novel of a best selling Indie author in 2018.
Lover of coffee, horror flicks, and reader of books. She pretends to be a writer when real life doesn't get in the way. Pesky full time job and adulting!
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Melinda Kucsera writes fantastic short stories, novels, and books when not being kidnapped by dragons or chased by armies of fictional characters demanding their stories be told. She leaves the running of her newsletter to a cast of loveable characters who are far better at engaging in magical mayhem than in effectively marketing the books they star in. They also run her website, https://melindakucsera.com. Get the only 100% character-run newsletter of its kind. Fictional characters hijacked it and every week, they take readers behind and between the scenes. Add a dash of fantastic fun to your inbox, sign up for the newsletter.
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Sofi Laporte was born in Austria, grew up in Korea, studied Comparative Literature in the U.S.A., and lived in Ecuador with her Ecuadorian husband. When not writing, she likes to scramble about the beautiful Austrian country side exploring medieval castle ruins.
She currently lives with her husband, 3 trilingual children, and a cat in Upper Austria.
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Kathryn St. John lives with her son and husband in the midst of cornfields and cows in Hastings, NE. Not an exciting place perhaps but her imagination more than makes up for that.
When she's not immersing herself in a steady stream of books, games, and social media (total junkie and not ashamed to admit it), she's teaching group fitness classes at her local YMCA, exercising, or being silly with her family.
Kathryn spent her childhood afraid of the monsters that hid under her bed, the ones that came out after the lights went off, so now her bed sits squarely on the floor. No sense in tempting fate with exposed ankles and toes hanging over the side where a hidden hand can grab them.
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Rabbi Galina Trefil is descended on her father's side from Romani slaves held in Wallachia and Transylvania, which provided a great deal of the inspiration for her first published book, "The Incomplete Ones: A Tale of Slavery."
An epilepsy advocate, Rabbi Galina has spoken before the Nevada State Legislature on behalf of disabled rights. On behalf of Romani rights, she has spoken on BBC radio.
An independent film actress and screenwriter, she is the winner of the Open Curtain Productions Writing for the Future 2014 contest. Follow Galina Trefil:
Edeline Wrigh is an eccentric storyteller with a penchant for swearing, drinking too much caffeine, and spending more time with cats than people. She writes fantasy, romance, and love stories without happy endings from her house in the midwest.
When she's not putting words on paper, she's busy upleveling her martial arts game or taking in stories in any way she can.
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Zoey Xolton likes to daydream and write stories about the beautiful and improbable, the dark and fantastical, as well as the terrifying and romantic! Her niches are Dark Fantasy, Apocalyptic Horror & Young Adult Paranormal Romance. She writes what she loves to read!
When Zoey isn't writing or reading, you'll usually find her chasing after her precocious children, or fawning over her dark soul-mate, the artist and man she is lucky enough to call her husband and best friend.
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Dragon Soul Press is the publisher to either begin your career or to further the one you currently have. We have your best interests at heart.There are many opportunities to get published with us, whether it be submitting a manuscript, an anthology submission, or an e-zine submission. There will be competitions coming soon as well.
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Giveaway and Tour Stops
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Follow First Love's tour at:
Feb 25: Our Town Book ReviewsFeb 26: Welcome to My World of Dreams
Feb 27: Christine Young
Feb 27: Literary Gold
Feb 28: Edgar's Books
Mar 1: Long and Short Reviews
Mar 4: BooksChatter
Mar 5: Sapphyria's Books
Mar 6: All the Ups and Downs
Mar 7: TheHufflepuffNerdette
Mar 7: Stormy Nights Reviewing and Bloggin'
Mar 8: Nana Prah's Blog
Mar 11: Fabulous and Brunette
Mar 12: Author Deborah A Bailey
Mar 13: Locks, Hooks and Books
Mar 14: Kit 'N Kabookle
Mar 15: Straight From the Library
7 comments:
Thanks for the support you have given all of us.
What an amazing blog post. Thank you so much for sharing and the time you spent on it!
That's a brilliant blog post. Thank you very much for your support. I hope you enjoy Papercut (my story) and all the other stories in the anthology.
Woooo! Cool! Lovely post! Thank you! :D
So many wonderful stories in this anthology. Thanks for the wonderful shout out to all the authors represented!
Thanks for hosting!
Thanks for sharing!!
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